Looking for a job? Brace for a tougher screening process

Indian employers are cautiously optimistic about their hiring plans for the next three months, and job seekers will have to be prepared for a more rigorous selection process, staffing services company Manpower said in a report on Tuesday.

Indian employers are cautiously optimistic about their hiring plans for the next three months, and job seekers will have to be prepared for a more rigorous selection process, staffing services company Manpower said in a report on Tuesday.

According to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, about 27% of Indian employers said they would expand the workforce in the April-June quarter, primarily driven by ITeS (information technology-enabled services) and IT sectors where employer hiring intentions appears to be improving.

The net employment outlook of 27% for the second quarter indicates an improvement of 2 percentage point, compared to the January-March quarter, but reported a 19 percentage point decline compared to the year-ago period of 45%.

"In spite of the market downturn and the uncertainty around the economic and political environment in India, employer hiring intentions remain positive in all seven sectors," said AG Rao, managing director, Manpower India.

He, however, cautioned that job seekers have to be prepared for a more rigorous selection process. "They can expect additional aptitude tests and extra rounds of interviews."